Ooga Chaka
by MisterDrBob
Summary: A one-shot set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Meredith is looking to have a night on the town. But it's the MCU in 1978 we're talking about here. She's going to get a lot more than she bargained for.


**Ooga Chaka**

Summary: In the far-flung and groovy past of 1978, Meredith will experience a night she'll never forget. A one-shot set in the MCU.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel and Disney.

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><p><em>Denver Colorado, 1978<em>

Meredith's eyes glowed with excitement as she took in the scene. Lights, music, and a bunch of swingers all in one room.

"Can you believe it? We finally got in!" Lisa, Meredith's roommate squealed. "Oh wow, just look at this place!"

The Blue Moon was the hippest new joint in Denver. All of the hottest bands were slated to be playing it in the near future, and it boasted a veneer of exclusivity. It had been open for a month, and comparatively few people had still been inside. You wouldn't know that if you were inside though. The space was filled with people, drinking at the bar, or at tables, or carpeting the dance floor. A disco ball was installed in the ceiling, but it hadn't come down yet, and Meredith kind of doubted it would. Disco was dying.

"Good thinking with the wink," Meredith said. "I was afraid that bouncer would turn us away."

"I know!" Lisa said. "Which would have been a bummer, because he was cute too! Now come on, let's dance!"

"I dunno," Meredith said. "I think I need to run to the bathroom."

Lisa sighed in impatience.

"Don't keep me waiting out here by myself," Lisa said. "Hurry!"

"I will," Meredith assured Lisa.

The bathrooms were immaculate. Meredith was impressed, and a little more intimidated. She quickly took a look in the mirror to make sure that she looked good, and failing to find nothing wrong, returned to the party.

"I don't feel so good," Meredith confessed to Lisa.

"You worry too much, Mere," Lisa said. "We're here to party! Go crazy!"

"Yeah, you know, crazy's pretty groovy," a smooth voice said. Meredith turned around to find that she was being addressed by an incredibly well-dressed man around her age. He was good looking. No, scratch that, he was beautiful. Meredith knew she had to say something. Something funny, or smart sounding, anything but

"Hi."

Crap.

The man laughed as he dusted off his polyester jacket.

"Hi yourself, babe," he said. "Never seen you around here before. I'm Michael."

"Meredith," Meredith said, still embarrassed. "This is my friend Lisa."

"Meredith and Lisa," the man repeated, sounding out each syllable with purpose. "Beautiful."

Meredith blushed, and found herself giggling. That wasn't good.

"Thanks," she said, trying to get herself to stop laughing.

"Can I interest you in a dance?" Michael asked. Meredith couldn't stop staring into his eyes. In an instant, all that mattered was that she danced with Michael.

"Yes!" She said a bit too fast. Michael's handsome grin broadened as he took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor. The band was playing "Magic" by Pilot. Meredith was barely aware of the irony that she was already under Michael's spell.

Michael was a skilled dancer. Meredith wasn't bad, but she wasn't as good as Michael, and her jitteriness had been amplified million-fold by her partner's charisma.

"Sorry!" She yelped as she stepped on Michael's foot, and ended up tripping over it.

"Whoa, take it easy baby," Michael laughed. "Don't want you to get too beaten up!"

Fighting off embarrassment, Meredith tried to keep dancing. That lasted all of about a minute before Michael graciously offered to take Meredith out for a breath of fresh air.

"I'm sorry, I'm normally not so clumsy," Meredith said, not able to look at Michael for too long. They were sitting on one of the many benches that dotted the patio of the club out back.

"Hey, no worries," Michael said. "You feeling better?"

Meredith nodded. Michael smiled.

"So tell me about yourself, Meredith" he said. Again, he savored the sound of her name.

"Oh, well…" Meredith began fishing around for information about herself. Trouble was, anything that was coming to mind in an at all timely fashion was suddenly intensely uninteresting. "I used to be a student, but I'm taking time off to work."

"Taking the reins, I like it," Michael said. "What do you do?"

"Oh, I work as a waitress," Meredith said. "It's not that special. What do you do?"

"Well mainly he runs from the law," a voice from behind Michael said. Michael spun around and found himself face-to-face with a sturdy looking man who looked to be a few years older than both Michael and Meredith. "I'm sure there are a ton of other things I could list," he continued, "but I won't embarrass you."

"You!" Michael said. "Will I never be free of you?!"

"Good to see you too Michael," the man smirked. "Believe me, it took me a long time to track you here. I'm not about to let you off again."

"That's what you think, Jason!" Michael said. Without warning, he grabbed Meredith and twisted her arm behind her back. Meredith cried out as Michael forced her in front of him. The newcomer looked alarmed at the sudden turn of events.

"You want the girl to live, you let me go," Michael said. "What do you say, Jason?" Sound like a fair deal?"

"Michael, please stop! You're hurting me!" Meredith cried out.

"Shut up!" Michael said. None of the smoothness was in his voice anymore. In the span of a minute, Michael had begun sounding disturbingly deranged.

"Come on, Michael, that's no way to treat a lady," Jason said.

"Well what are you going to do about it?" Michael laughed.

"Well I could just shoot you," Jason said, taking out a strange looking gun. "But I kind of need you alive." In a sudden movement, Jason shot above Michael's head, blasting a hole in the wall of the building, causing a heap of bricks to dislodge. Michael looked up, giving Jason the opportunity to grab Meredith and get her away from the falling debris. Michael wasn't so lucky, and he found himself unconscious courtesy of a couple of bricks.

"You…you saved my life!" Meredith said breathlessly.

"Yeah, don't mention it," Jason smiled. "Might want to be careful about your taste in men, sweetheart."

"You're telling me, I feel like such a dope," Meredith sighed.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Jason said. "I mean, he's a good actor. I mean REALLY good."

"Thanks, I guess," Meredith mumbled.

"How's the arm? Broken?" Jason asked.

"I don't think so. It's a little sore." Meredith said, wincing as she flexed it.

"Come on, let's get inside and get some ice on it."

"What about Michael?" Meredith asked.

"Meet me inside, I'm gonna get him in my car."

Meredith nodded her acknowledgement and made her way back inside. Finding the bar, she asked for some ice and waited for Jason.

"Feeling better?" Jason asked.

"A bit," Meredith said. It occurred to her how often she had been asked that tonight.

"Get me two gin and tonics," Jason said to the bartender.

"So are you a cop or something?" Meredith asked.

"Me? Naw, if I was a cop, I'd be on duty, and therefore probably not drinking," Jason laughed. "No, my interest in Jason is a little bigger than what you're thinking."

"What do you mean?" Meredith asked.

"It's a long story," Jason said as he was handed his drink. "And you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said as he slid the other one over to Meredith.

Meredith looked down at the drink. She normally didn't drink much, but it would be rude to refuse Jason's offer after the fact.

"So I heard you telling Michael you used to be a student," Jason said. "What were you studying?"

"Oh, Astronomy," Meredith said. "You know, stars and stuff."

"The great unknown," Jason said. There was an oddly reverent tone to his voice. "You're smart to want to go in that direction."

Meredith blushed even more. Between Michael and Jason, she had gotten more attention tonight than she had in…well, ever. Jason was looking at her. Not in the way Michael had, like a predator salivating over a morsel, but like he was understanding something he never had before.

"Care to dance?" Jason asked. Meredith didn't quite know what her body was doing, but the next thing she knew, she and Jason were incredibly close, dancing to the rhythm of the band. The song ended, and the dancers applauded.

The next song began.

_Ooga Chaka Ooga Ooga Ooga Chaka_… the chant began, signaling one of the biggest hits of the last decade. Jason grinned as he observed Meredith's eyes lighting up.

"You know this one?" He asked.

"It's my favorite," Meredith admitted.

_I can't stop this feeling, deep inside of me. Girl you just don't realize what you do to me. All the good love when we're all alone, keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on!_

_I—'m hooked on a feeling! I'm high on believing that you're in love with me!_

"I think I know why you like this one so much," Jason said as he began dancing again. Meredith joined suit, feeling much more at ease. The wild tones of Blue Swede drove her every movement as she and Jason moved in unison. Time stood still, beating under that refraining chant. When the song finally did end, Meredith and Jason were breathless. Without a word, they both went for the door.

"Um, Meredith?" Lisa called, trying to no avail to get her friend's attention. "Where are you going?" Nope. Lisa's friend had completely forgotten her. "Typical." She muttered.

In the nearest hotel, Meredith and Jason were pressed even closer than they had been on the dance floor. They kissed again and again, the chant of _Ooga Chaka_ still pounding in their heads.

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><p>The sun shone through the window of the hotel room. Meredith woke up with a jolt, momentarily startled by her unfamiliar surroundings. A few seconds later though, she knew that last night hadn't been a dream. Every single wonderful moment of it had been real.<p>

"Jason?" She asked. No answer. Meredith's discarded clothes were on the floor…in a neat pile. That definitely hadn't been how they'd come off. Jason's clothes were nowhere in sight. All that was left of him was a note.

_Meredith,_

_Sorry to dash, but I've got to take care of Michael. I don't know if I'll be in town again any time soon. I hope we see each other again, but I'll never forget you._

_Jason_

Something felt dead inside Meredith. She wasn't quite sad, but she definitely wasn't happy either. She and Jason had barely had any time together, and they might never get another moment again.

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><p>J'son looked over the Earth, his heart a little heavy. There had been something special about that Meredith. He hoped he'd have time to drop by again and see her. But for now, he had more important matters to attend to.<p>

The stasis pod on his ship held Michael Korvac in suspended animation, and would do so until someone was stupid enough to let the maniac out. Only one thing to do. Well, technically there were two things he could do. He could take Korvac to Xandar and leave him at the mercy of the Nova Corps, but J'son knew that someone else wanted Korvac—badly enough to offer a staggeringly unbelievable reward for him.

"Computer, set course for Knowhere," J'son commanded. The ship's computer beeped in acknowledgment. Jason sat in the pilot's seat, trying to resist the urge to look back at Earth one last time.

The trip to Knowhere was surprisingly short, given that the space station was located at the edge of the galaxy. That was Spartax spacecraft for you. J'son had been to Knowhere a few times in the past. The floating Celestial head was still unnerving to look at as the ship approached. Perhaps it was a little more unnerving considering J'son had never before wanted anything to do with the person he was going to see.

"J'son of Spartax?" The pink-skinned attendant was surprised. "It is an honor. The Master will be most delighted that you are visiting."

J'son nodded apprehensively as the shapely young woman quickly retreated into the depths of this remote sector of the station.

"Presenting Taneleer Tivan, the Collector," the assistant said, bowing.

"Thank you Carina," the Collector said, waving his hand in dismissal. "Your Highness," he addressed J'son now, bowing grandly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"A gift for you, Collector," J'son said. "I've captured Michael Korvac for you."

The Collector's expression barely changed, but J'son could tell that the Eternal was excited.

"This is good news indeed," he said. "My agents will retrieve him from your ship. Now, for payment. I believe I offered forty billion credits for him?"

"You did," J'son said.

"Very well then," the Collector said. "I will see to it that payment is ready by the time you leave Knowhere. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay and browse my collection."

"Thank you," J'son said uneasily. The Collector paid him no more mind as he whisked away to prepare the payment.

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><p>Meredith cried out in anguish as she clutched her hugely pregnant belly.<p>

"It's okay Meredith, you're almost there!" Lisa said encouragingly. "Push!"

With one final heave of agony, Meredith's world went dark for a moment. But in that darkness, there was a sound. The sound of a baby crying.

"It's a boy," the doctor announced.

"You hear that, Meredith?" Lisa said excitedly. "A boy!"

"A boy," Meredith repeated, exhausted. She couldn't help but smile the instant she saw her son being presented to her.

"What's his name?" Lisa asked eagerly. Meredith gulped, holding back tears.

"Peter. Peter Jason Quill."

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><p>Author's Notes: Wow, hey all. Feels like it's been a really long time since I put anything on here. I thought it was at least a year, but then I remembered that I've updated that Smash Bros. story within the past few months. My life has been super hectic, and I've been focusing more and more on writing stuff that isn't fan fiction, so this could be the last thing you see from me for a long time, or possibly ever! Hope you enjoyed this! I wanted to write something that could probably continue to fit in with the canon of the MCU, so I chose to write about some of the more obscure characters, whom I'm not quite as familiar with. The initial inspiration of course was that amazing first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy featuring Hooked on a Feeling. It was too perfect. It didn't take me long to decide that that HAD to be the song Peter Quill was conceived to, and the rest kind of took care of itself from there. Adding Korvac came later, and I think it served to beef up the story's excitement. I've got nothing else to say, so farewell!<p> 


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